The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-19

long, flowing black gown over q full court
costume Of black. Ills knee breaches have
silver clasps Silver buckles ornament the front
of his patent-leather shoea A small sword Just
peeps out from the folds of his sombre costume.
The Speakers face is thin. sallow aud angular.
The lower part of his face is extended by
sharp-pointed brown beard To the irreverent
American visitor the Speaker is not an imposing
sight. He looks much more like actor got
up Tor comic opera than the presiding officer of
one of the oldest legislative assemblies in the
world. He has no table in front of him. but the
arms of his chair are SO wide that they am
pie for the little writing that he has to do while
presiding. The Speaker has a very clear. sharp
voice, and very energetic, nervous manner,
not at all English. He points his bony right
finger at member and fires his name at him
like pistol shot on the second of his rising
He passes from side to side with great Impair
TALLY. Nearly everything is left TO the House
itself. When the Speaker calls for viva-voce
vote he delays the announcement of the result
long enough for any one to make objection
and demand a formal count He saws over sew
eral times, Il think its yea, think its yea" or
the reverse, before declaring the result. When
q formal vote is taken every member has to
leave the House, the yeas going out the front
door and the nays going out at the left Tho
attendants at the doors check them off as they
go out.
In front of the Speaker sit three clerks wear
ing wigs and black gowns The desk in front of
them is very large and broad. In front of this
desk is still another desk. upon which rests
great gilt mace with crown on the top. Upon
each side at each end of tbs mace are two large
boxes of rosewood or mahogany. bound in brass.
1t is upon these boxes that the leaders of the de-
bates rest their papers. The members seats run
in parallel lines with the longest way of the
chamber The bench upon the right of the
Speaker, facing the open space in the rectangle,
is occupied by the members of the Cabinet.
They must be present at every sitting of the
House. Upon the left bench from the
Speaker. and facing the Cabinet not
over ten feet from them, sit the leaders
of the opposition. The members of the
Cabinet are selected from the members of the
House of Commons. They are the constant
target of question and attack. These attacks
sometimes degenerate into bowls of derision.
Their presence on the floor of the'House gives
personal zest to the debates unknown to our
House of Representatives. The reason of this
is very clear. The Cabinet in England is the
government If it be pulled down in the
House and defeated in a vote upon any decisive
measure then it must resign and give way for a
new Cabinet to be made up from the party sue
cessful in putting them down. This compact
line of men has to be armed at every point to
meet the constant fire showered upon them in
every session. Imagine the Cleveland Cabinet
being obliged to sit every day in the House of
Representatives to explain and defend the acts
of the administration Certainly the present
Cabinet under such daily fire. would soon have
to be reorganiZed.